In oil and gas operations, hydraulic fracturing systems may be used to fracture one or more subterranean formations by conveying pressurized hydraulic fracturing fluid to one or more wellbores traversing the subterranean formation(s), the wellbore(s) each having a wellhead located at the surface termination thereof. These hydraulic fracturing systems require temporary surface lines, valves, and manifolds (collectively referred to as “frac iron”) to deliver the hydraulic fracturing fluid from mixing and pumping equipment to one or more fracturing trees connected to the respective wellhead(s). A fracturing manifold consists of one or more “zipper modules,” which are a collection of flow iron valves, pipes, and components, used to deliver hydraulic fracturing fluid or treatment fluid to multiple fracturing trees. The zipper modules facilitate quick redirection of fracturing fluid and pressure from one well to another, enabling pumping trucks or machinery to run nearly continuously and thereby minimize downtime.
Many hydraulic fracturing systems use conventional frac iron connected to, from, or between: each of the various components of the fracturing manifold, the pressurization manifold and the fracturing manifold, each of the various components of the pressurization manifold, and/or each of the fracturing trees and the fracturing manifold. In particular, zipper modules typically comprise a series of gates, valves, and piping set up to deliver fracturing fluid to the wellhead. Wellheads are situated at different elevations in the field, making it essential for zipper modules to deliver fluids at varying inclinations and declinations and at different angles. For example, one wellhead may be situated at point A, another wellhead may be situated at point B that is X meters east and Y meters above point A, and still another wellhead may be situated at point C that is X′ west and Y′ below point A. To effectively traverse this terrain, conventional setups connect each zipper modules to the wellheads using a complex network of piping and frac iron form the zipper modules to the wellheads. Running multiple pipes from each zipper module to each wellhead creates a multitude of issues at the work site including, but not limited to, excessive setup time and labor costs, limited adjustability, safety risks associated with potential leak points, and decreased pumping efficiency.